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Wednesday, 17 March 2010

Those Crazy Danes - Part 5 (Flying the Flag)

I love those crazy Danes. I love the contrasts. Super liberal. Super traditional.

One of the top news stories yesterday was the proposed legislation to allow homosexual couples to adopt. The majority of Danes are behind the idea. The Danish Government is against the proposal but yesterday announced that - when it goes to the final vote - they will not force their own members to toe the party line. They will allow their members to vote according to their conscience. (The general expectation is that government members, like the opposition, will vote for the proposal.) Super liberal. Hello 2010! :)

But being liberal doesn't give you carte blanche to start messing around with Danish traditions. Traditions are sacred here. I hope to goodness you've all made the Secret Snowdrop Letter that I posted yesterday? Or else you're in big trouble! ;)

This morning I was out buying a few last minute things for DD7's birthday party. The girls from her class (14 of them) are coming here on Friday afternoon. My first stop was the supermarket. Because no Danish birthday party is complete without...flags. Flags for the dining table, flags to stick in the food, confetti flags to scatter on the tablecloth, a paper tablecloth (with Danish flags on it), mini sticky flags to stick on the birthday cards and presents, plastic flags to put in the flowerpots outside your front door. Don't forget to stick flags into your driveway, on your gate and along the front of your fence so that everyone knows you're celebrating and can find the way to the party! You're getting the picture now, aren't you? If not, here's one I took of the stand at the supermarket ;)

And please, please don't forget to take a flag (or two) when you go into the birthday girl's room and wake her by singing. It's traditional...